Nader Officially on 45 State Ballots + DC
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Toby Heaps, 202-441-6795, toby@votenader.org
RALPH NADER ON A RECORD 46 BALLOTS FOR THE 2008 ELECTION
Voters will be able to choose or write in Nader in 49 states plus D.C.
The campaign of independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader announced today that the Nader/Gonzalez ticket will officially be on the ballot in 45 states plus the District of Columbia this November. Voters will also be able to write in Nader/Gonzalez in four more states: Texas, Georgia, Indiana and North Carolina, for a total of 49 states plus D.C.
"This means 85 percent of the American electorate will actually see the names Ralph Nader and Matt Gonzalez on their ballots," said Michael Richardson, the campaign's national ballot access coordinator.
This is an historic first for the lifelong consumer advocate. It is the most ballots Nader has ever been on. In his two previous runs for president, Nader was on 34 state ballots plus D.C. in 2004, and 44 plus D.C. in 2000.
The Nader ticket was missing from several key state ballots in 2004 where the campaign has succeeded in gaining ballot access this year including: the populous California and the swing states of Oregon, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Arizona, as well as Hawaii.
In California, Utah and Iowa, Nader will appear on the ballot line of the Peace & Freedom Party, in Oregon, the Peace Party, in New York the Populist Party, in Florida the Ecology Party. In all the other states, voters can find Nader/Gonzalez on the Independent or Independent Party line. The only state where voters can't vote for Nader is Oklahoma, because they don't allow write-ins.
"This is quite a feat since states generally make it really hard for third-party candidates to get on state ballots," Richardson said. "But in every state, our volunteers collected more than enough signatures to qualify. The response has been positive -- much better than in 2004. It's obvious that there is national interest in more choices and independent candidates outside the two-party system."
Nader is also polling stronger this year than he was at the same time in 2004 or 2000. According to new Time/CNN polls, Nader/Gonzalez is polling at 6 percent nationally, and as high as 6-8 percent in key battleground states of Colorado (7%), Michigan (6%), Pennsylvania (7%), New Mexico (8%), and Nevada (6%).
"It's clear that Ralph Nader could again have a significant impact on the Presidential race -- though in highly unpredictable ways," Time/CNN pollsters concluded.
On overcoming more ballot-access hurdles than any other third-party candidate, Ralph Nader, commented: "This has been a Herculean effort and one of the purposes of our campaign is to clear away these ballot access hurdles and open up the ballots to diverse candidates -- to third-party and independent candidates who are not afraid to stand up for issues, like single-payer Medicare for all, living wage, and our Constitution -- all crucial areas where the two parties act against the will of the majority of America."
To see where other non-major party candidates have achieved a ballot line visit: http://www.ballot-access.org/ballot-chart.html
For more information on the campaign, visit votenader.org.
